Dr Erdal Yıldırım is Assistant Professor of Social Studies Education at Aksaray University, Türkiye, and for 2026/27 a visiting lecturer in Global Studies at the University of Gdańsk and a contributor to its Polish-Turkish Studies Centre.
A former teacher in eastern Türkiye, he earned his PhD at Gazi University in 2017 and has trained teachers in national programmes to integrate Syrian refugee children into Turkish schools. His research covers inclusive citizenship education, refugee pupils, political socialisation and the social effects of AI. In Gdańsk, he is comparing how Türkiye and Poland, both major refugee hosts, turn access to schooling into belonging, and building lasting academic ties between the two systems.
He teaches Global History, Global Society and Culture, Workshops and Sustainable Development.